Open House - UC Health Center
Sep 8, 2011 1pm to 4pm
Strand Theatre
The 6th Annual Open House will feature information provided by
community agencies from around the City of Boston and live music by
Jazz 208 featuring Gil White!
Food and refreshments will be served.
Motivational Speaker Charles ?Poncho Brown, MS presenting to Youth The
Monster Presentation? ALL COMMUNITY YOUTH WELCOME!
More
Information
Upham's Corner Main Street Annual Meeting at Strand
Theatre
Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:30pm - 8:00pm
Uphams Corner Main Street annual meeting includes board elections,
unveiling of new storefront office and recently completed strategic
plan.
5:30 p.m. at the Strand Theatre, 543 Columbia Road, Dorchester.
Refreshments will be provided.
City Council Preliminary Elections Sep 27, 2011
The last day to register, or change your voting address, for the
September 27 Preliminary Municipal Election is Wednesday, September 7.
There will be Preliminary Elections in two City Council Districts that
include Upham's Corner - Three and Seven. A list of candidates
can be
found on the website: City of Boston Elections.
Voting in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including Boston, is
address-based. Voters can make sure that their voting information
is
current by checking online http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections/voter/
link.
All new voter registration forms or address changes must be postmarked
no later than September 7 in order to be recognized for the Preliminary
Election.
The Boston Election Department in Room 241 at Boston City Hall will be
open until 8PM for those who wish to register or make changes in person
on September 7. After 5PM, please enter City Hall from the
Congress
Street side, opposite Faneuil Hall.
For more information, contact 617-635-3767 or visit the website http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections
Dorchester Arts Collaborative - Open Studios 2011
October 21-23, 2011
- The reception is being held at 1243 Adams Street in
the Walter Baker Complex in Lower Mills
- Group sites for visual artists include First Parish
Church, 11 Pearl Street and Humphreys Street Studios
- Performances will take place from noon to 5 on
Saturday and Sunday of that weekend at the Great Hall in Codman Square
- Readings of original work by poets and writers will
take place on Saturday at Pilgrim Church in Uphams Corner
- DotBike will host their bike tour of public art
beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
GET INSPIRED! Visit the gallery of work by Open
Studios exhibitors
Affirmations to Start a New Year
August 31, 2011
New Year's Eve? It's not even close to January 1. But for
many
families Labor Day - a little before, a little after - is the start of
a new (school) year. That changes everything. And what do
we do on New Year's? We make resolutions that break as easily as
a falling egg.
Think of affirmations as resolutions with a goal of changing how
we think. How we think determines how we behave and sets our
self-images. Creating our own set of affirmations and
visiting them often is a wonderful way to change our lives.
Affirmations are always stated in the "positive" form. They are
visionary. We look ahead to our vibrant selves and state HOW WE
ARE, not how we are not.
Example
I DO NOT eat junk food (NO
NO).
I eat healthy food (YES YES).
Here are two sets of affirmations: One for you (me) and one
for Upham's Corner.
Affirmations for You & Me
- I travel 'light' - "Junk - be gone!"
- I have my finances under control and manage my money
well.
- I eat healthy foods.
- I stay in touch with family and friends.
- I exercise often.
- I take on only as much as I can handle and follow
through.
- Accountability is important for me and my team.
- I make decisions after some deliberation.
- I am honest but gentle with others.
- I take care of issues as they arise (procrastination?
What's
that?).
- I express myself in positive, creative and supportive
ways.
- If I have helped one person or brightened their day,
it was
worth it.
- I welcome all thoughts and seek to understand, learn
and
grow.
- I love my work; I love my life.
Affirmation offered by Rev. John Odams:
Good morning, Lord, this
is your day. I am your child. Show me the way.
Affirmations for Upham's Corner
- I love Upham's Corner.
- I love my neighborhood.
- I take care of my property and the adjacent public
areas.
- I put litter in its place.
- I am friendly and greet my neighbors often.
- I shop locally.
- I know the shop owners by name and greet them often.
- I make every effort to be carbon free.
- I recycle (everything).
- I am in frequent contact with elected officials and
the City.
- I always say Thank You before I ask for more (city
services).
- I support the growth of urban farming and green
spaces.
- I work to make Upham's Corner more beautiful.
- I love Upham's Corner.
Brought
to you by the Upham's Corner Improvement Association.
Comment Posted by Meg Campbell | September 5, 2011, 11:40 am | edit
Really appreciate your positive energy and leadership in our neighborhood!
View this entry as separate page
Rich
Architectural History of Upham's Corner
August 29, 2011
Workshops
held by the Boston Preservation Alliance regarding the
rich architectural history of Upham's Corner will soon be available as
a final report in early September.
This work has been done in partnership with the National Trust for
Historic Preservation and Historic Boston Incorporated, and in
collaboration with Upham's Corner Main Street and many others in the
community.
To receive a copy of the report contact:
Erica Lindamood
<elindamood@bostonpreservation.org>
Read
More
Boston Branch NAACP Raising Awareness
September 2, 2011
"That race is no longer an issue in Boston is false" says Michael
Curry, President of the Boston
Branch of the NAACP. A recent WBUR story regarding allegations of
discrimination by bars, restaurants and spas in the Greater Boston Area
include some stories that were complaints filed with them.
Read WBUR Article on Racial Discrimination
The complaints more often come from establishments profiling Black or
Latino patrons and/or renters in an effort to avoid violence within
their establishment. As is often the case with race, they create
dress codes, door policies, music and drink restrictions, and unfair
practices within the establishment that most often are based on
generalizations--and ARE ILLEGAL.
Mr. Curry continues: "We're confident this happens much more
frequently than reported, but patrons in Boston have become accepting
of this behavior or didn't realize there is a possible recourse
(note: unequally applied requests for ID's for credit card
purchases is another violation). In addition, some people
consider it acceptable behavior for owners to protect their
establishment in this way."
If you have been unfairly treated in any setting, consider contacting
the Boston Branch as well as the Attorney General's Civil Right
Division (Maura Healey) and MCAD. They have both been extremely
responsive since the CURE Lounge incident and Julian Tynes's
appointment to MCAD.
For more information contact the Legal Redress Chair Attorney Stephanie
Soriano-Mills (sorianos55@hotmail.com).
(Read full press release)
Build a Website for Free
by Mark Bell

Que Publishing and Mark Bell have created an excellent reference for
anyone starting out wanting to create a website. Yes, there are
plenty of website hosting services that provide the simplest of human
interfaces to get you up and running but the result is often sub par.
How much technical knowledge is required? Depends on your website
goals.
If your knowledge level is primitive (as in sledge hammer) or if you
have acquired the ability to recognize tools (as in images and links)
or if you have gone to the next step (as in creating your own css files
and javascript) - no matter your lay person level - this book will help
you separate out what you know from what you don't know and provide
direction on how to improve your capabilities.
To give honor to the idea that learning is enjoyable and useful, we
"took the next step" and created a WIKI to organize note taking while
reading the book. These notes serve as a reinforcing reference
for returning to the text or advancing to the many references cited.
Enjoy. Link to Build a Website for Free WIKI
Also on our blog in greater depth
Fifth Murder in Upham's Corner in 2011
August 25, 2011
[BPDNews.com]
Boston Police have arrested 24 year old Lester James of Dorchester in
connection with a fatal stabbing of a 23 year old male on Sumner Street
in Dorchester.

At 12:13am, August 25, 2011 officers from District C-11 (Dorchester)
responded to a call for a person stabbed in the area of 92 Sumner
Street. On arrival, officers located a 23 year old male suffering from
what appeared to be a stab wound. The victim was transported by
ambulance to Boston Medical Center where he was later pronounced
deceased.
Homicide detectives as well as officers and investigators from District
C-11 conducted an investigation leading to the arrest of Lester James.
He was charged with murder and is expected to be arraigned on Friday in
Dorchester District Court.
The victim's identity is being withheld pending family notifications.
Chasing away Crime on Blue Hill Ave
August 21, 2011
The City of Boston is launching an assault on prostitution,
public boozers, junkies and scofflaw liquor stores along the busy road
that cuts a huge swath through the city.
Under a new initiative launched last month, the mayor's Neighborhood
Response Team will walk Blue Hill Avenue every two weeks.
(as reported in the Boston Herald)
Read More
On the Horizon
September 5, 2011
Upham's News blog is maintaining a "sticky" post tracking what we are
working on. Helps with the clutter on the desk and gives readers
an opportunity to see how we're thinking.
Because we publish periodically (1-3 weeks), timely reporting of
upcoming events is not our forte though they are included in the
calendar. What we are best at doing is investigative reporting,
and reporting about what happened at an event.
Always our goal is to report fairly and accurately, but something
else. The true beauty of the community comes from its people.
That's why our event reporting always includes a ton of photos -
especially people and their beautiful faces.
On the Horizon
|
Upham's Corner InSight into the News
Happy Anniversary - Upham's Corner News
August 26, 2011
Amazing! Didn't think it could be done, but Yes! We have
been publishing Upham's Corner News for one year, since August 26,
2010.
August 21st of 2010 we found our first event and the news
hasn't stopped happening. In that time period we have published 26 issues
covering over 450 articles and 2500 images. On average, that's one
issue every two weeks.
A retrospective is coming soon with plans for the next year. Thanks for your readership and your support.
Nancy Conrad
Editor and Founder
Upham's Corner News
St. Kevin's Development Community Meeting
September 12, 2011 6:30pm
I M P O R T A N T M E E T I N G
! !
Plan to come to an Upham's Corner community meeting to get an update on
the St. Kevin's development project starting with the 2009 St. Kevin's
Area Planning Collaborative Report and working forward through the BRA
hearing in March and what has happened since.
Upham's Corner Main Street has been invited to talk about the 2009
Collaborative Report and POUA, Inc, the St. Kevin's
developers, have been invited to update the community on their current
development plans.
This
is your opportunity as a resident of Upham's Corner or as a
citizen who works in / shops in / travels through Upham's Corner to
look at the history of the project and its current status. It's
also an open forum for your ideas, suggestions, concerns and comments.
Date: Monday, September 12, 2011
Time: 6:30 pm
Where: Cape Verdean Adult Day Care Center
34 Hancock St
Dorchester
For more information, contact:
UphamsCorner.Improvement.Assoc@gmail.com
Upham's Corner Improvement Association
August 31, 2011
The Upham's Corner Improvement Association (UCIA) is taking a few small
steps towards improving the quality of life and to drawing attention to
the community of Upham's Corner.
Community Meeting
Their first major endeavor is to organize and facilitate a St. Kevin's
Community Meeting to engage residents in the continuing development
process (see above).
Co-sponsor Greater Boston House Concert
 UCIA is co-sponsoring the next Greater Boston House Concert
scheduled for October 1, 2011. GBHC provides an intimate setting
and a chance to experience music close-up and in relationship with the
performing musician.
That such high quality performances are taking place in Upham's Corner
is reason to celebrate and get involved. More information next
issue.
(Click image to enlarge)
Getting Involved
Would you like to help make Upham's Corner a better place to
live? Do you have community event ideas? Consider joining
and making a difference in Upham's Corner.
For more information, contact: UphamsCorner.Improvement.Assoc@gmail.com
$50k
Allocated for new Upham's Corner Library Study
August 31, 2011
If anyone knows otherwise, let them come forward and
speak!
As far as we can
tell, the proposal to locate a new Uphams Corner Library into the St.
Kevin's Development project is off the table, at least for now.
The good news? The Boston City Council has approved $50,000 in
the Expenditures category to get the New Upham's Corner Library project
off the ground.
Read
More
What
can we do to say Thanks?
August 26, 2011

"What can we do to say thanks?" The Grove Hall librarians wanted
to host a community event celebrating the library's relationship with
the community "and expressing their gratitude."
What can we do inside the library - especially on a hot end-of-August
dog day - that everyone would enjoy?
Yes! Let's invite everyone
to an ice cream social!
Read More
- Photos
DSNI
Holds Multi-Cultural Festival
August 13, 2011

Many weeks in the planning, the DSNI sponsored multi-cultural festival
was well attended, was blessed with excellent weather and a fun time
for all.
Dancing, flea market tables, good food prepared by neighbors,
information tables and a chance to meet and get to know your
neighbors.
View
Photos
Our own Meg Campbell Blogging on the Huffington Post
August 31, 2011
Meg Campbell is founder and Executive Director of Codman Academy
Charter Public School and a strong supporter of the community.
Yet the boundaries of her intellectual influence extend well beyond
Dorchester as she is an excellent and interesting writer and blogs for
the highly respected Huffington Post.
Meg's most recent post is "What's your Intention this School Year?" Well worth reading, the message carries into all aspects of life. Live life with intention.
Follow Meg's blog: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meg-campbell
Winthrop
Community Cookout very Successful
August 22, 2011
The
Community Celebration held
at
Winthrop Park was a spirited
success with well over 500
people attending. Everyone,
especially
the younguns' were excited,
energetic, talkative, watching and reaching
out to friends and
strangers.
Winthrop Park is well laid out to handle simultaneous activities and
that is exactly how the organizers set up the event.
All of it
contributed to a feeling of celebration, ease of movement and sense of
relaxation and enjoyment.
More Info - Many photos
Ma &
Pa's Cafe - Cooking with Love
211 Blue Hill Ave, Roxbury
August 19, 2011
(617) 606-7042
Madeline
Colon is the Manager, and Eddie Nunez the owner, of one of the newest
restaurants on the Dorchester - Roxbury line - Ma &
Pa's Cafe. It opened for business as a labor of love and it continues
that way today.
Reaching out to the community, they offered to spearhead the creation
of a back-to-school celebration for the Winthrop Park area as a way of
saying: "Thanks."
Read More
Bird
St Youth Center Gala
August 19, 2011
The close of summer program at the Bird Street Youth Center was a
resounding success. Over 700 people attended the festivities on Friday,
August 19, 2011.
Executive Director, Andrea Kaiser, welcomed the group
and thanked the many people who helped coordinate the building
renovation efforts so that the gymnasium was ready in time for the 2011
Gala.
Councilor Tito Jackson underscored the
importance of the Bird Street Youth Center's programming and emceed the
opening of
the program.
Read More
Cafe Four
Corners Dining Out
August 19, 2011
The Cafe Four Corners dining event was built on the popularity of the
recent Four Corners Main Street summer event 'Dining on Main Street,'
In all five local restaurants contributed food and Levy's hosted the
party. Music, poetry readings , artwork on the walls, delicious
food - couldn't ask for a better Friday night out.
Read More
Check Cashing
Legislation - An Uphill Climb
August 25, 2011
The checking cashing fee cap legislation written by Upham's Corner youth
Alex Knowles and sponsored by Rep. Carlos Henriquez has hit some snags
along its journey through the MA legislative process. While the
bill is still under consideration, it has changed considerably.
Alex
Knowles gives us an update on testimony at the committee hearing, what
changes were made to the bill in committee and what we as citizens of
the Commonwealth can do to help.
Read More
Upham's
Corner Main Street Business Breakfast
August 24, 2011

The
Upham's Corner Main Street Business Breakfast on Wed morning was the
first event scheduled by the new UCMS Executive Director, Max
MacCarthy, since assuming his position in late July.
He and the board agreed this was the perfect opportunity to begin
re-engaging the businesses in conversation.
The breakfast was well attended, delicious and accompanied by a wide
variety of comments and suggestions by all present.
Read
More - suggestions in detail - photos
Meet
Terrence L. Byrd
August 31, 2011
The Upham's Corner business district is blessed with the daily presence
of strong and dedicated street workers from the Department of Public
works.
This year the Monday-Friday "gig" is being handled by Terrence
L. Byrd.
You can recognize him by his outfit and the smile he wears. What
else? After he has come and gone, our neighborhood looks so much
better.
Read
More
Anatomy of
the Burned out DPW Trash Barrels
April 12, 2011
Night-time vandalism is done by a cult of people
who like making their mark in the dark.
It can take several forms including graffiti and extreme littering but
one of the more interesting forms is the purposeful conflagration of
DPW trash
barrels.
Read More
Reach Out & Read at the Health Center
August 25, 2011
Rep. Michael Capuano enthusiastically participated in a Reach Out &
Read event held at the Upham's Corner Health Center. It is a
program that prepares America's youngest children to succeed in school
by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to
read together.
The Upham's Corner Health Center is one of 41 Reach Out & Read programs in Rep. Capuano's district.
Read More
|