News Index
Mayor's
speech - Reflections
Sidewalk
snow issues
Chief Michael
Mackan
NRT
- Dudley Triangle
SNI Meeting
Debacle
Savin
Hill Village
Jobs
Registration
Renew Boston
Friends of
Library
Dear Paul . . .
About Town
- Cataloni's update
- H&R Block security fence
- Street light falls into home
- Safe Street Team
- Citizens Bank parking lot resurfaced
The
State of
our City
The State of the City Address on
January 11, 2011 was the perfect
opportunity to see the many people who together work for
the City of Boston or who care about our City government.
It is also a chance to
gauge the tenor of the organization that Mayor Thomas Menino has put
together
over his 18 years of governance.
Upham's Corner News reflects on the event - the people, the camaraderie
and the spirit.
[Read full
article]
Neighborhood
Response Team a Winner
Captain John Davin, B-2 Police, described a 7-month experiment he calls
NRT. It's being implemented in the Dudley Triangle. It's
working and making a huge difference with the businesses.
Upham's
Corner needs an NRT with "boots on the ground," not another SNI
meeting.
[Read
More]
SNI - Misguided and
Ineffective
January 25, 2011
The
District Attorney's office held an organizing meeting of the "new" SNI
in Upham's Corner. Over 30 people attended, many of them from the
DA's office and the Safe Street Team.
Residents raised issues they wanted resolved. Matt
Feeney turned a deaf ear saying what they wanted was for
the people attending to come back in another month or two with even
more people.
Residents made suggestions on what would be necessary for them to come
back (ACTION) and again, Mr. Feeney said: "What we need from you is to
come back with more people."
We look at what went wrong, the problems identified by residents and
what will work.
[Full Story
& Transcript of Meeting]
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Sidewalk
Snow Removal in Upham's Corner
|
Nor'easter
Dumps 16 Inches of Snow
On Wednesday, January 12, 2011, a nor'easter dumped approximately 16
inches of snow in the greater Boston area. Snowplows worked all
day to clear the streets and the next
day people returned to work, cars back on the road. For
pedestrians the progress was slower.
On 1/14/11 Upham's Corner News looked at the vehicular
and pedestrian traffic flow in the business district. Vehicular
traffic was moving easily with no problems but pedestrians found it
difficult to get
around. [Read More]
[Photos]
|
Interview
with Code Enforcement
Chief Michael E. Mackan discussed with us how his officers enforce the
snow
removal ordinance.
- He emphasized Code Enforcement's attitude to
teach first
and punish only if necessary.
- He also supported the expansion of
the snow removal ordinance to include curbs, fire hydrants, handicap
ramps and catch basins.
- He highlighted the role of the mail
carrier and how easily we forget about the impact that our pedestrian
walkways have on their ability to deliver the mail.
[Full
interview with Chief Mackan]
|
Issues
Identified
In at least ten areas the residents, the
businesses,
the City, the MBTA and other
organizations responsible for pedestrian pathway snow removal are
failing to create safe pedestrian
walkways after a significant snowfall.
Some issues are already covered by
the snow removal ordinance but are not being followed. Others are
recommended by the City but are not yet in the ordinance.
Examples: The width of
walkway (too narrow), handicap ramps buried, catch basins
blocked, and
bus stops and crosswalks not cleared. [Read More]
|
None of the
median strip crosswalks were shoveled.
|
|
Boston is
Not Pedestrian Friendly
Our sidewalks
are not being cleared properly to support safe pedestrian
walkways. This tells you something about Boston's attitude.
Businesses and residents are not deciding to
shovel or not shovel based
on an ordinance but rather on an attitude. What's missing is a
strong sense of community: MY neighbors, MY street, MY
micro-village (Upham's
Corner).
Disregard for the safety and well-being of pedestrians
following a snowstorm is a clear indication that Boston is
NOT a pedestrian friendly city. [Read Full
article]
|
The only access to the bus is a narrow trampled sheet of packed snow
and ice. |
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Recommendations
Upham's
Corner News recommends that we review the City from the perspective
of a pedestrian in the wintertime after it snows. A committee
consisting of pedestrians would be a great starting point, eventually
getting
Code Enforcement involved as well.
Review/enhance standards, determine who is responsible, in what manner
and in what time frame for clearing pedestrian walkways following a
major snowstorm.
*** Upham's
Corner News has passed these recommendations onto Councilor Stephen
Murphy's office. They have already begun working with the City on
the
possibility of enhancing the snow removal ordinance. They welcome
your input. Contact Seth McCoy at seth.mccoy@cityofboston.gov
[Read full article]
|
Letter
to Paul, January 28, 2011
Dear Paul
I
am so excited, and have been, since Joane introduced us on
Tuesday. I haven't been able to sleep. Truly, you are awesome and
inspiring. The question is: "Why am I so interested in you?
There are only a
million people in the world. Why am I focused on you? " [Read
More]
|
DSNI Volunteers
Needed
The Emerson Elementary School and the Dudley Street Neighborhood
Initiative is looking for volunteer readers for their Reading Buddies
Program. Volunteers are needed one or more day/s a week (Tuesday,
Wednesday or Thursday) from 8:00 - 9:00 am. We are looking for
commitments from January - Mid-February; Mid-February - Mid April; or
Mid-April - June.
Contact Sharon Sabin at 617-442-9670 or email intern@dsni.org
|
Boston Youth Fund
Jobs Registration
The
Boston Youth Fund hires teenagers from 15-18 years old but you must
first be registered with Hopeline. You can register online or
over the
phone. [More Details] |
|
Upham's Corner Calendar
We're
adding more topics to our Calendar including sustainability issues
(green), hearings affecting Upham's Corner, educational opportunities
and more.
[View Calendar]
Savin Hill
Development Committee Meeting
Mon, Jan 24, 2011 7pm
Over
a dozen people attended the first official meeting of the Savin Hill
Village Development Committee. They agreed on their
mission/goals, identified target and study areas and took on their
first tasks. [Read
More]
Renew Boston Energy
Initiative
Dorchester Bay (DBEDC)
is one of 13 organizations designated by the City of Boston for
outreach to area residents to spread the word on Renew Boston.
Max MacCarthy is the "point person" for Renew Boston at Dorchester
Bay.
He is knowledgeable, friendly, encouraging and
accessible. You couldn't work with a better Renew Boston
rep. Give him a call to see how the program can help you.
617-825-4299
x251. [Read More]
Official
Renew Boston website
Climate Change & the
Commonwealth
The causes/effects of climate change are well documented from
deforestation as a cause to severe weather patterns as a result.
In 2007 and 2008 the Commonwealth made great strides in proactively
supporting and promoting a move towards energy efficiency through
landmark, emergency legislation: "The Green Communities Grant
Program." This legislation created MassSave. [Read More]
View
Mass Save website
Boston's Sustainability Goals
The City of Boston has been proactive in moving towards "sustainable"
for well over 10 years, shortly after the Kyoto Protocol was
established. Renew Boston is one of the many programs helping
Boston
deal with climate change. [Read
More]
Boston's Climate
Action History
Dorchester Bay's Role in
Renew Boston
Within a month after announcing Renew Boston (9/2/2010) the City asked
for Community Outreach organizations to submit grant requests to enroll
Boston residents in the Renew Boston program. [Read More]
Friends of the Upham's
Corner
Library
2nd Saturday of the month, 9:30am
Marti Glynn, Chair of the Board of the Upham's Corner Library Friends
group, tells us why she is so committed to a first-class library in
Upham's Corner. [Story
and photos]
 At the jazz
concert on December 16, 2010, Friends gathered in the hall
outside and spread the word to passersby. |
Coming soon - Feb 12,
2011 - a Valentine
Sweets fundraiser for the Upham's Corner library sponsored by Friends
of the Library.
Janet
Wolford, member of Friends, created this poster. Her
company, Soul Food Design,
specializes
in organic, free range, graphic design.
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