The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council election will be held Sat., April 30, with polling places at: the Harvest Co-op (3815 Washington St.); J.P. Licks (659 Centre St.); and Stop & Shop (301 Centre St.). Polls will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Any JP resident 16 or older can vote. Voters should bring proof of residence if not listed on the most current City of Boston list of residents.
The following are statements provided by the candidates.
Area A (Five seats) (Ward 10, Precincts, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (east of South Huntington Avenue) Ward 11, Precincts 4 and 5 and Ward 19, Precinct 1)
Catherine White
Catherine White lives in the Bromley-Heath housing development and sees the need for ongoing community service and broad-based neighborhood involvement to bridge the gap for all residents of Jamaica Plain. Her main concerns are health and safety throughout all of our JP neighborhoods. She hopes to explore ways in which one can meet such needs as a community. She looks forward to learning from JPNC members and to bring to light various issues plaguing her direct community. She is excited about embarking on this journey and hopes for the opportunity to serve the JP community in this capacity.
Kevin Rainsford
Kevin Rainsford moved to Jamaica Plain in 2005 after developing a strong affinity for the neighborhood having worked in Hyde Square since 2000. As a mental health counselor, Kevin has worked in a variety of social service and educational settings where he has sought to meet the needs of youth and the underserved. His interest in the JPNC stems from his time as an MPA student where he gained an appreciation for a community’s need to have a voice in government. As a member of the JPNC, Kevin wants to continue to advocate for the needs of this community.
Jeffrey Wiesner
The Jamaica Plain neighborhood is a unique neighborhood in the City of Boston with a distinct character. The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council is a longstanding and important institution that has provided residents of the community the ability to foster the neighborhood’s uniqueness against the press of economic and other forces. I have served two terms on the council, this last term as the vice chair of the Public Service Committee. I am seeking another term to ensure that the council remains a vibrant community body.
Area B (Five seats) (Ward 11, Precincts 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, Ward 19, Precincts 4, 6, and 9 (East of Centre Street).
Kyle Smith
Since moving into Jamaica Plain in 2012, Kyle has quickly become involved within Jamaica Plain and the City of Boston. At the neighborhood level, in addition to being an active member of the JPNC, Kyle is a member of the real estate committee of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation and an active fundraising committee member for JP’s Community Servings. Within the JPNC, Kyle is a member of the Zoning and Housing and Community Development subcommittees. Professionally, Kyle is an actively practicing real estate attorney for a Newton- and Boston-based law firm.
Gert Thorn
Gert Thorn, an architect with large-scale planning and housing experience, has been a member of the council for two years. He has been active in engaging the City to obtain funding for the pedestrian streetscape project on Centre and South Streets from Jackson Square to Forest Hills, and has been an advocate for continuing the diversity of our community. Gert believes that the next years will bring real estate pressure to change the character of our community, and that we need to work with all participants to insure that the neighborhood character of Jamaica Plain is retained and enhanced.
Meghan Wood
Meghan Wood, a public health professional, has a rich history of working collaboratively with Boston community leaders on issues of public health and welfare. Meghan has been a homeowner in Jamaica Plain since 2012, and shares her condominium with guests through the AirBNB platform. Her motivation for joining the JPNC is rooted in her deep passion for health equality. While new to Boston city politics, Meghan hopes her fair and balanced opinion serves the community greater good.
Priscilla Yang
Priscilla has resided in Central JP with her husband and three children since 2006. She values JP’s diversity, good schools, green spaces, and sense of community. As a council member, Priscilla hopes to work with residents of JP and other council members to arrive at recommendations and decisions that best reflect the priorities of our community. She supports housing and zoning that make JP livable for a diverse community and preservation of green spaces that can be enjoyed by all JP residents. Priscilla is a scientist at Harvard Medical School where her laboratory studies viruses that cause human disease.
Area C (Five seats)(Ward 10, Precinct 9 (west of South Huntington Avenue) Ward 19, Precincts 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 (West of Centre Street) and 12).
Bernard Doherty
I am seeking election to JPNC to help bring about a more balanced and inclusive approach on issues affecting the future of this community, an approach that recognizes the rich diversity and social make-up of Jamaica Plain and works to encourage an open forum for the expression of issues and views from all sections of our neighborhood. I was a member of the council from 1985 through 1997, during this time I served as the chair of the Zoning Committee. I have also served as chair of the Asticou-Martinwood-South Street Neighborhood Association for the past 25 years.
Kevin Moloney
Kevin Moloney has been active in our community: for many years as treasurer and then president of the trustees of JP’s Eliot School of Fine and Applied Arts, and for six years as president of the trustees of the Boston Public Library. Retired after 40-plus years of civil litigation law practice in Boston, he is a member of the board of directors of the Jamaica Pond Association, the board of directors of The Arborway Committee for Public Transit, Inc. and a member of the Jamaica Hills Association. He currently is chair of the JP Neighborhood Council.
At-Large (Five seats) (All of Areas A, B and C)
David Baron
I have lived in Jamaica Plain since 1996 and have served on the Neighborhood Council both as an “Area B” and as an “At-Large” representative. Since 2009, I have chaired the Council’s Zoning Committee, where my priorities have been advocating for strong neighborhood input at the City level and ensuring a fair, open, and participatory JP zoning process in which all voices are heard. JP has always been an activist community, and neighborhood-level activism and engagement is part of what makes it a great place to live. By day, I have a (fantastic) law practice specializing in real estate.
Michael Reiskind
I am a long-time resident of Jamaica Plain involved in many aspects of the community. I am presently on the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council and its Zoning Committee. I am also chair of its Public Service Committee, working on public safety, public works, and transportation issues. I am a board member of JP Centre/South Main Streets, the Jamaica Pond Association, The Arborway Committee for Public Transit, Inc. and the JP Business & Professional Association. In addition, I have been an early advocate of Neighborhood Policing and work with the Boston Police Department on its implementation in Jamaica Plain.
Carolyn Royce
I am a long-time resident and appreciator of JP’s wonderful green spaces, great variety of housing, unique businesses, commitment to the arts, and diversity of residents. I moved here as a college student, then stayed to raise my family in this interesting, compassionate, and vibrant community. I am a homeowner and a member of the Egleston Square Neighborhood Association. I work as a bookkeeper for several small, local businesses. I have just finished my first term on the JPNC and would love to continue to serve.