Monday, May 20, 2013
The at-large Boston city councillor is the first mayoral candidate to open a headquarters in the neighborhood.
Nearly 50 volunteers gathered Saturday, May 18 at 295 Main St. to open Boston mayoral candidate John Connolly's new campaign office in Charlestown. Connolly, who currently serves as at-large Boston city councillor, is the first mayoral candidate to open an office in Charlestown, according to a press release from his campaign. After the office opening, volunteers headed out into Charlestown to talk with residents about the campaign. Connolly will host a Charlestown campaign kickoff and neighborhood party on Thursday, May 30 at the Knights of Columbus. For details about that and other campaign events, visit www.connollyforboston.com.
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Saturday, May 18, 2013
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
Like pieces of a puzzle that don't quite fit together yet, the Big Three may have been separated at birth, but with each incremental step their destinies seem to grow more intertwined. No, we're not talking about those Big Three - Gov. Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray and Speaker Robert DeLeo - though they play major character roles in this thickening plot. Instead, three bills have come to define the early months of the 2013 legislative agenda and resolutions on tax hikes, local road funding and the annual state budget continue to be elusive and dependent on one another. Patrick spent the early part of his week welcoming British Prime Minister David Cameron to Boston for a few quick meetings and a visit to the Copley …
Friday, May 17, 2013
Friday marks the ninth anniversary of the law that allowed gay and lesbian couples to marry in Massachusetts.
Dozens of local gay and lesbian couples gathered at the Boston Public Garden Thursday to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the law that gave them the right to marry in Massachusetts. The celebration, put on in partnership between Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the Respect for Marriage Coalition and Mayor Thomas Menino, ended with a group photo at a location popular for wedding photography. "It's been an extraordinary five years," said Ellen Wade of Newton, who along with her wife, Maureen Brodoff, were one of the plaintiffs in the landmark case they won in 2003 that led to the adoption of marriage equality in the state. "It's been exciting and inspiring, and we're grateful to have played a small part in showing the country …
Charlestown residents were asked their thoughts on the development of parks and other open space in the area once Rutherford Avenue is reconstructed.
Though the completion of the Rutherford Avenue and Sullivan Square roadway project is possibly a decade away, the city is asking Charlestown residents to begin looking at what they want the land around the new corridor to look like. Ted Schwartzberg, a neighborhood planner with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, led a meeting at the Schrafft’s Center cafeteria Thursday night that kicked off the “Sullivan Square Disposition Study” process—an approximately eight-month review of what the community would like to see done with new parcels created by the roadway project as well as an overall vision of the finished corridor. The BRA in March awarded the disposition study to consultant team Crosby Schlessinger Smallridge, and the process will …
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City Square
City Sq & Main St, Charlestown, MA
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Schrafft Center
529 Main St, Charlestown, MA
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Sullivan Square Station
1 Cambridge St, Charlestown, MA
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The state's Restaurant and Business Alliance said there was 'no sign of opposition' at a hearing this week.
The Joint Committee on Revenue in the Massachusetts legislature held a hearing this week on the notion of a potential meals tax holiday for August and one supporting group liking its chances. According to the state's Restaurant and Business Alliance (RABA), the hearing held Tuesday for the Meals Tax Holiday Bill saw "no sign of opposition" to the measure. Twelve legislators have signed on to the bill primarily sponsored by Rep. Keiko Orrall of Lakeville and Sen. Michael O. Moore of Millbury. If passed, the legislation would go into effect from Sunday, Aug. 11 through Thursday, Aug. 15. "We should offer a Meals Tax Holiday to benefit employees and small local business owners inside Massachusetts to help stimulate the economy," Dave Andelman…
Thursday, May 16, 2013
The recently released draft document sets standards in Boston for bee- and hen-keeping, composting, rooftop farms and other activities.
After more than a year of discussions, the city has published a draft document outlining new rules for urban agriculture in Boston. From the keeping of hens and honey bees to regulation of composting, aquaculture, rooftop farms and farmers markets, the new document sets standards for a variety of urban agriculture activities that are not currently addressed in Boston’s zoning code. The Boston Redevelopment Authority, Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives and Mayor’s Urban Agriculture Rezoning Working Group have been meeting monthly since January 2012 to work on the document. The new regulations, Article 89 of the Boston Zoning Code, will “create clarity and predictability for anyone interested in commercial food growing and creating farms in …
Ways and Means Committee plan falls short of many of Gov. Deval Patrick's recommendations.
The Massachusetts State Senate Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday released a fiscal year 2014 budget proposal that is just shy of $34 billion and which falls short of several of Gov. Deval Patrick's budget recommendations. According to the Boston Globe, the Senate $33.92 billion budget would increase spending by 4.4 percent as opposed to Patrick's budget, which hikes spending by 6.9 percent. The Senate budget is roughly in line in terms of spending with the $33.8 billion House budget proposed last month. The Globe reported that the Senate budget increases spending for elderly services and special education but does not reach Patrick's recommendations for expanding transportation and providing universal childcare access. Committee …
With the deadline up to take out nomination papers, at least two races are looking crowded. Twenty-seven people have launched runs for four at-large city council seats, including a Charlestown resident.
The deadline to sign up for nomination papers for Boston's mayoral and city council elections has passed, with 24 possible candidates for mayor. To put that in perspective, there were five total candidates in 2009's preliminary election for Boston mayor. The deadline to sign up for papers was Monday at 5 p.m., and there were no big surprises at the deadline—like Mayor Thomas Menino deciding to seek reelection. "The 24 candidates who signed up by Monday’s deadline must now gather 3,000 signatures by May 21 in order to appear on the Sept. 24 election ballot," city spokesperson Emilee Ellison said. Some possible candidates have already started to announce they're not running for office, such as Frank John Addivinola Jr. and Gene Gorman. Some…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Several news outlets reported on David Cameron's visit to Boston this week.
Great Britain Prime Minister David Cameron is spending time this week in Boston to offer his condolences to Gov. Deval Patrick on the Boston Marathon bombings and discuss the lessons learned from the tragedy, according to WCVB.com. The news station reported that Cameron arrived in Boston on Monday and went into a private meeting with Patrick. While Cameron didn't discuss the meeting topic afterward with reporters, WCVB reported that Patrick said the meeting "was great." Early Tuesday morning, Cameron and Patrick visited the makeshift Boston Marathon bombing memorial in Copley Square, according to an Associated Press report on WBUR.com. Cameron met with President Barack Obama at the White House Monday before coming to Boston, according to …
The outgoing Boston leader cautioned residents not to focus too much on the negative as the mayoral race heats up.
Mayor Tom Menino cautioned Boston residents not to focus on negative portrayals of the Boston Public School system as the city’s mayoral race heats up. Speaking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new playground at Harvard-Kent Elementary School in Charlestown on May 10, Menino touted the progress public schools have made in recent years and asked residents not to allow anyone to “tear this school system down” in the coming months. “We’ve made a lot of progress in the Boston Public Schools in the last several years. It’s because of a lot of reasons—teachers, principals, the superintendent, the community—and I tell you, the graduation rate is up, dropout rates are down, more kids are going on to college,” Menino said. He spoke of how the …
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Harvard-Kent Elementary School
50 Bunker Hill St, Charlestown, MA
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David H. Cheresh
4:53 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013
PODESTA reminds me of "THE SMOKER" on the "X-FILES." more ›