St. Kevin's Developers get an Earful
January 10, 2012
A well publicized and highly anticipated "update" from the St. Kevin's
developers (POUA) was a "dud." The POUA reps were "placeholders" for another meeting to be
scheduled in late February. Judy works somewhere else and Dave is still getting his feet wet.
That didn't stop the residents who expressed for 1 hour, 15 minutes -
their discontent with the whole project including massing, density,
parking, traffic and the proposal to build subsidized housing.
As one resident voiced it: "What are you
doing that's positive for Upham's Corner? Nothing."
Discussion was detailed, pointed, referred back to the original
visioning process and made suggestions on what they, the resdients, wanted in
Upham's Corner. One resident forwarded a map of the "new" Upham's Corner, depressed artery and all. (Nice!)
The developers will be
back in full force in February. And the
residents? Will they still have the steam they showed at this meeting?
Read More
Winter Farmers' Market - Opening Day Success
January 8, 2012
What a great success! Neighbors from Upham's Corner attended the event
held at the Great Hall in Codman Square and raved about opening day,
Sunday, January 8, 2012.
And what did they find? Huge crowds, farmers who had come from far away
- fresh, unwashed winter veggies, meat, cheeses, breads and pastry,
they said. At least two stands for vegetables - excellent. Lots of
winter staples - peas, onions, potatoes and celeriac. "Fantastic."
Read More
Upham's
Corner Post Office - Letter of Support
January 13, 2012
On December 15, 2011 at their December monthly meeting, the
Hancock
Civic Association agreed to send written opposition to the USPS
proposed decision to close the Uphams Corner Station Post Office.
On January 13, 2012, the Postal Service sent back a "form" letter which
confirmed receipt of the letter, reiterated the issues compelling the
study and confirmed that the Post Office was indeed under consideration
for closure.
Read
More
Union
Carpenters'
Apprenticeship Opportunity
January 18, 2012
The New England Carpenters Training
Fund (NECTF) will be conducting
interview's to establish an "Eligible Pool of Apprentice Applicants".
Interviews will be conducted in late March or early April of 2012.
Additional interviews will be conducted as demand requires.
Who can Apply?
Anyone age 17 or older, who is a High School graduate or has a GED.
High school seniors may apply with a letter from their school stating
that they are eligible to graduate within three months. Women,
minorities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.
Read
More
Duo Diavolo
Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 7pm

The Duo Diavolo will be performing music of Astor Piazzolla, Ravi
Shankar, Toru Takemitsu and Antonio Lauro at First Parish Church on
Saturday, Jan 21.
Orlando Cela, flute & Venezuelan cuatro and Aaron Larget-Caplan,
guitar
Admission is free; donations are accepted, reception to follow
First Parish Church, 10 Parish st. Dorchester, MA 02122
Information: 617 436-0527; info@firstparishdorchester.org
For Full information
Rep. Carlos Henriquez - Coffee Hour in Upham's Corner
January 27, 2012
10am - 12pm
"Come join us," they say, "for a cup of coffee. Share your concerns with State Rep Carlos Henriquez."
This is your chance to get your voice heard.
Location: Easy to find
545 Columbia Rd
The Main Street "store" next to the Strand
Anthology at the Shirley-Eustis House
Sunday, January 29, 2012, 2pm
The Shirley-Eustis House and Greater Boston House
Concerts will be presenting the vocal quartet Anthology in "Hot Music for a Cold
Afternoon," an eclectic musical mix of folk, jazz, and classical.
Anthology's varied songs never fails to delight audiences. They
will be singing arrangements of American folk music, such as "Frobisher
Bay"; some swinging jazz numbers such as "Java Jive"; cutting-edge
classical selections; and a couple of humorous numbers as well. The one
constant is that four women's voices make all the music!
The afternoon concert starts at 2pm on Sunday January 29, 2012. A
Meet-The-Artists Reception will follow the performance.
Shirley-Eustis House
33 Shirley St Roxbury, MA 02119-2725
More Information about the group
Kaylee
Commits to Helping the "K" nines
January 6, 2012
Kaylee's
retired neighbor used to be a K-9 police officer, so even though she is
only 7 years old, Kaylee Wiroll became curious about how he worked with
his furry, four-legged partners.
Then she learned about the frequent dangers faced by K-9 dogs and,
brave as she was, Kaylee embarked (woof woof) on a mission to protect
other
adorable K-9s.
What did she do? Find out! Kaylee and Joka, best friends!
Read
More
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Upham's Corner InSight into the News
Seven
(7) Murders in Upham's Corner since 2011
January 18, 2012
Seven murdered?
Really?
The news today: Someone got shot. Who? Where?
When?
Their condition? And then we forget. The initial BPD press
release may omit the victim's name.
Was there an
obituary? Did we hear anything about the circumstances? Has
anyone been arrested?
In response to the desire to learn more, UC News has put together a
"Murder Map" and an event table providing the most up-to-date
information we were able to locate.
Read More
Murdering
the Youth of Upham's Corner
January 17, 2012
Six murders in 2011 and the first murder of 2012 on
January 14.
All victims were male and all but one were in their 20's or teen's.
Luis - 18, Edmund - 23, Terrance - 28, Aaron - 25, Francis - 23,
Christopher - 18
There has been little reaction from the Upham's Corner community except
for one Henriquez meeting whose timing coincided with murder #2.
Murders occur, news gets covered, funerals are held and life goes on.
If the potential closing of the Post Office in Upham's Corner could
draw a significant protest crowd, what about the deaths of 7 youth in
less than a year?
Nothing?
Enough is enough!
If we are all asleep, if we are all comfortably
protected within our tiny homes, if we don't take the time to reach out
and mourn the deaths of our youth and proclaim: "No more!", there is no hope for our
community.
Read
More
Upham's Corner Reputation on the Brink
January 18, 2012
A
community's reputation is determined by the people who live there but
also by the transitional people - those who come to visit (work, shop,
schools, etc) and those who move out. What they say, their descriptive
language, turns into tightly affixed labels - both good and bad.
Upham's Corner does not have a good reputation and the crime statistics
don't help.
Factors within the community provide ripe opportunity for labels like
"poor" and "uneducated."
Finally, residents are beginning to
realize that poorly made planning decisions have the power to make
the reputation worse. Well made decisions can improve the
reputation. Upham's Corner can use all the help it can get.
In this article we will look at what one resident had to say about
"labels" used to describe Upham's Corner, the urgency of addressing the
problem of crime and a not-so-nice conversation about Upham's Corner on the internet.
Read
More
Epitaphs for the Murdered and the Lost
January 18, 2012
#1
Luis Jorge Tavares
Luis Jorge
Tavares, 18 years old, had come from Cape Verde a year prior and only
the
week before had lost a brother (back home) to a traffic accident.
He was out on the front porch on Groom Street in Upham's Corner where
he lived with his family when he was shot several times.
#2
Edmund Andrade, Jr.
A resident of Boston, Massachusetts, Edmund
Andrade, Jr. was born on December 22, 1987 and passed away on
Wednesday, April 20, 2011. He had been murdered, fatally shot in the
head.
#3
Terrance Johnson
Terrance Johnson lived on the street and, at the
age of 28, died there as well. Who knows what prompted that horrible
tragedy. An argument? A drug deal gone bad?
Regardless, it was another life lost.
#4
Aaron Wornum
At 8:30 am on July
14, 2011 Aaron Wornum and Anthony Robertson were talking to each other
on their cell phones close to Sumner and E Cottage Streets when
Robertson opened fire and shot Wornum several times.
#5
Francis Kargbo
The argument between Francis Kargbo and
his friend Lester James escalated to a physical confrontation in which
Kargbo suffered a stab
wound to the left side of his chest. He ran down the stairs and
into the street where he collapsed.
#6
(unknown) Victory Program
A man in his 50's
who was a resident at the Victory Transitional Home for single men with
HIV/AIDS and drug abuse related problems was stabbed several times in
the home and died there.
#7
Christopher Pichardo
Responding to a call for a person
shot in the area of 23 Trull Street, officers located Christopher
Pichardo nside suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot
wound. A
neighbor said she saw police officers attempting to resuscitate him
using CPR but he didn't move.
A Poem of Comfort
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Upham's
Corner News -
The Best of 2011
January 1, 2012
Top 20 articles
since the newspaper opened for business in August 2010.
Investigative, events, information, news, nature, youth and
humor. Some interesting surprises - even in the top 10.
#01 - Dogdom - Human donates bones
#02 - Buttonwood Street abutters oppose ATS Equipment
#03 - Cristo Rey Boston offers new approach to college readiness
#04 - Aaron Wornum, in Memoriam
#05 - Upham's Corner youth writes legislation
#06 - Letter to Paul Roiff Jan 28, 2011
#07 - Dorchester Day Parade
#08 - Boston Youth Fund - How our youth get summer jobs
#09 - Salvation Army MA Division names new leaders
#10 - Violence in the Cape Verdean Community
Read More
Sleep-Walking
our Way through Upham's Corner
January 8, 2012
UC News
emphasizes infrastructure reporting - on the
assumption such coverage will make a difference. In 2011 alone
there
were four
neighborhood walks.
Because of the June SNI walk, a few issues have improved. Also a
few problems reported by UC News were corrected.
Across
the board, though, it's not much. Almost feels like SLEEP
WALKING. At the end of the walk, go back to sleep and in the
morning, remember
nothing.
What is the problem? Why are other Boston neighborhoods making
progress while Upham's Corner seems to be standing still or crawling
ever so slightly?
Example: As
discussed at the May 24, 2011 SNI meeting, 2-hour parking signs were
put up in the City Parking lot without warning. "A mistake" the
group was later told but the signs are stil there six months
later.
Read
More
SNI
holds Neighborhood Walk in Upham's Corner December 22, 2011
The
Uphams Corner SNI led neighborhood walk on 12/22/2011 began at The
City School a little after one o'clock and the showing was impressive -
SNI, DSNI, Main Street, BPD, Upham's Corner News, businesses and a
dozen or so area residents, especially three days before Christmas.
Missing were city organizations that typically attend such events -
ISD, BTD and Neighborhood Services.
The
results echoed the June SNI walk. Yes, some items have definitely
improved. Still, the same houses are still a problem, the
same streets need
repair and the havens for trash and litter are everywhere.
Read
More
Grove
Hall NRT Holds "Talk"
January 4, 2012
Due to the excessively cold weather, the January 4,
2012 Grove Hall Neighborhood Response Team (NRT) 'walk' was replaced by
a Grove Hall NRT 'talk.'
Boston
Police, ISD, residents and UC News attended and Michael Kozu from
Project RIGHT moderated. New issues were first on the agenda
followed by reviewing problems from the past and identifying
additional steps to take to make progress.
Read
More
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