Uphams Corner Sidewalks in Terrible Condition
 For decades, Uphams Corner has suffered the same conditions as exist today.
The sidewalks are pedestrian and transport UNfriendly with holes left
by missing bricks, loose bricks scattered in the walkway and trip
hazards due to unexpected changes in the height of adjacent bricks, not
to mention the overall shabby aesthetics.
The state of the sidewalks more befits a community under demolition
than one that is thriving and growing.
Posted: June 5, 2013
Spiritual Sidelines - Walking with the Comforter
 On
Pentecost Sunday, Rev John Odams of Pilgrim Church focused on the
church's birthday and the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
His message is one of hope for all, regardless of spiritual
orientation.
Reflections on his message of walking with the Comforter.
Posted: June 3, 2013
Complimenting MBTA Drivers is Good for What Ails Us
 You don't have to wait for heroic moments to compliment the MBTA driver who helped make your day better.
A driver's tone of voice, how they handle the bus and assist everyone
in having a safe ride - these are worth making into a compliment.
Your safety and state of mind depend on it. It's not about them.
It's about you and your peace of mind.
Posted: June 3, 2013
Main Street Fundraiser Planning on Track
Max Max MacCarthy, Executive Director, Uphams Corner Main Street
(UCMS), provided a 2013 fundraiser update to the Main Street Board at
its May meeting (5/21).
Everything is on track. The theme is Celebrating Creative
Community with a focus on creative businesses, artists and projects
going on in the neighborhood. Event will be in the Strand Theater with
jazz music, a silent auction. Angel Ticket beneficiaries will be
highlighted.
Posted: May 22, 2013
Uphams Corner Main Street Fundraiser 2013
Thu Jun 13, 2013
Celebrating Creative Community
Thu, Jun 13, 2013, 6:30-8:30 PM,
The Strand Theater, 543 Columbia Rd, Dorchester
- Have fun and meet members of the community
- Celebrate UCMS' volunteer-based effort to revitalize the Upham's Corner business district.
- Help raise money for the work of Uphams Corner Main Street.
Posted: May 22, 2013
A Poem for your Pocket
Encouraging a return to the poem as a creative form of expression, UC
News is encouraging everyone to carry one or two poems in your pocket
for those quiet times - to read, to memorize or to sing aloud.
If Trees Could Talk, Would They Talk to Me?
Dedicated to Earth Year #43
 - Nancy Conrad
Do trees have eyes?
Can they hear the birds?
Can they speak their minds
with definitive words?
Can trees smell jasmine and
roses and earth?
Does the cleansing rain
provide them new birth?
If trees could talk,
would they speak to the bees,
to the birds, to the sunshine,
to the other trees?
Surely they know the language of flowers
Poignantly humble in sunshine or showers.
Written with love . . Nancy
Posted: May 3, 2013
Eyewitness to a Shooting in Uphams Corner
 Around 10:45pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013, an Uphams Corner resident watched a shooting take place at 748 Dudley Street.
A male youth shot at a crowd of other youth and disappeared up Virginia Street.
Police arrived within seconds and scoured the area. No
perpetrator, no victim, no gun, no ballistics found, only a bit of
blood on the sidewalk. Dudley Street was blocked off briefly but
everything was back to normal by 11:30pm. A victim was later found
close to Edward Everett Square.
Posted: April 20, 2013
I Will Never Forget Marathon Week
Greater Boston has begun to recover from a week of terrorism with a
sense of closure created by the identification of two alleged suspects,
one deceased and the other in custody.
Deliberate, senseless, aimless violence serves no purpose to any cause
and does not belong in my home city, or in the home cities of anyone
else on this planet. Senseless violence has no home anywhere on this
earth. Anything that can be done to prevent death and destruction of
this type should be taken into consideration.
By Guest Contributor Damian Boyd
Posted: April 22, 2013
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Uphams Corner InSight into the News
Infrastructure Improvement Work Begins with Watery Mess
 As
part of the initial exploratory work for the Uphams Corner Public Works
Infrastructure Upgrade, a contractor made a mistake and broke a water
main. Boston Water and Sewer was called in but the next day, two more
leaks appeared.
What was a safe and attractive brick sidewalk at Columbia Rd and Dudley
is now a dangerous uneven sidewalk, a pile of loose bricks and a mound
of mud.
Surely our community can do better than this.
Posted: June 2, 2013
Stamped Concrete Accent Strip Proposed for New Sidewalks
 At
the earliest community meetings in 2012, the Public Works urban
planners suggested replacing the brick sidewalks in Uphams Corner with
poured concrete enhanced with a brick accent strip that would make
Uphams Corner look smart and modern.
Some residents objected to brick because it poses a safety hazard no
matter how little is used. So Public Works is looking at stamped
concrete. Other residents object to that.
An example of a stamped concrete installation by Public Works is at the
intersection of Cummins Hwy and Canterbury Street next to Cummins
Towers in Roslindale.
Posted: June 5, 2013
Utility Contractors & New England Winters
 Utility
contractors are one of the primary causes of brick sidewalk failure.
Contractors excavate the (brick) sidewalks to work on underground pipes
and cables then fail to return the bricks back to their original state
(often poor but the conditions worsen each time).
The New England winters also find a way to loosen the brick moorings
regardless of how well they have been installed.
Fighting an uphill battle as our community resources grow scarcer,
spending time and money on a high maintenance design is a poor
strategy, everywhere, not just Uphams Corner.
Posted: June 5, 2013
Uphams Corner ArtPlace Cultural Events Update
 Uphams
Corner ArtPlace is a creative placemaking initiative. Roseanne
Foley, Cultural Events and Communications Manager, is working to
provide members of the community access to the ArtPlace activities and
opportunities.
The recent art popup event was considered one of the best things that
has happened in Uphams Corner. Summer 2013 has a strong lineup of
cultural activities including events at the Strand, local art displayed
in storefronts and a Street Festival.
Posted: May 22, 2013
Boston Foundation: $480,000 ArtPlace Grant to Uphams Corner
 The Boston Foundation is coordinating a $480,000 one-year grant from ArtPlace to the Uphams Corner community.
The goal is to catalyze a 'cultural economy' with art installations,
outdoor markets, local business activities and 'random acts of culture'
in and around the historic Strand Theatre and Uphams Corner Fairmount
Line stop.
The grant and efforts will also serve as a pilot for similar efforts
along the Fairmount/Indigo Line corridor's ethnically diverse
neighborhoods.
Posted: May 22, 2013
Shirley-Eustis House to Participate in Blue Star Museums
T he
Shirley-Eustis House is one of more than 1,300 museums across America
who will be offering free admission to military personnel and their
families this summer.
This comes from their participation in the Blue Star Museums initiative
which offers free admission to all active duty military personnel and
their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2013.
The program gives the military community an opportunity to take
advantage fo the rich cultural heritage they defend and protect every
day.
Posted: May 22, 2013
Perfect Birthday - Blue Ginger - Wellsley MA
Since 1998 - Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger in Wellesley has been recognized
as an award winning restaurant worth visiting.
The wait staff are courteous, the food excellent and intriguing and the
ambiance comfortable and calming - a great place to celebrate a
relaxing and enjoyable birthday, especially if your son happens to work
there.
Posted: May 10, 2013
Linda Dorcena Forry - New Image for 1st Suffolk District in Boston
 The
three-way 1st Suffolk State Senator Democratic candidate race
highlighted changes that have begun to shift the traditional racial,
turf and gender positions that have determined election outcomes for
the past 40 to 60 years.
Linda Dorcena Forry created a surprise victory over the two South
Boston candidates, Nick Collins and Maureen Dahill.
Her success resulted from several voter demographic factors including
redistricting, a changing South Boston population, the dominance of
Dorchester in the district and a fresh mindset among the younger
voters. It may portend an even greater change in the Mayoral
elections ahead.
Posted: May 2, 2013
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