A Reminder to all new residents and unregistered voters – October 17th is the deadline to register to vote if you’d like to be able to vote in the November elections. This November all City Councilors are up for election. You need to go to City Hal to register (the deadline for mail-in registration has passed)
Also, the city is looking for people to work at voting locations on election day. These are paid positions. See more information at http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/default.aspx?id=3599
For complete city election information, visit http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections/
The Beantown Jazz Fest is coming at the end of the month. The highlight of the fest is a FREE outdoor festival. Sat, Sept 29, noon-6 at Columbus and Mass Ave (a short walk down the street). Festival will have 14 bands on 3 stages, along with food, vendors and kid fun.
Complete festival information at beantownjazz.org.
The City’s “Movies on the Diamond” program continues this week with “E.T.”. The movie starts at 8pm at the Peters Park baseball diamond. Free juice and popcorn for all.
A reminder that we have not one, but two free movies Tonight (Th, Aug 9) in the South End tonight.
“Happy Feet” will be shown at Titus Sparrow park (West Newton at SW Corridor)
“The Last Mimzy” will be shown at O’Day park (West Newton between Tremont and Shawmut)
Movies start 8pm. Bring your favourite blanket or chair. Free popcorn and Juice provided by the city.
The main city event for National Night out (Tonight, Aug 7) is out at Franklin Park – not near the South End this year. But I just got an email from councilor Yoon’s office which lists the following NNO events. The one at Castle Square looks to be a big event and very kid friendly!
· South End Cook out 6 P.M.- 430 Columbus Ave, South End
· South End Block Party 5 P.M.- Village Court Parking Lot inside Castle Square Apartments, South End
· Lower Chandler Street Block Party 6 P.M. - corner of Chandler and St. Charles, South End
Free movies have returned to Peters Park (and other area venues)!
August 9th – Happy Feet at Titus Sparrow park
August 9th – The Last Mimzy at O’Day Park
And, at Peters Park Baseball Diamond:
8/16 The Ant Bully
8/23 ET
8/30 “Surprise Blockbuster”.
Our US Representative is having a ‘telephone town hall’ tonight. Join in and ask your congressman some questions!
From his email: “Tonight I am experimenting with a new way to communicate with you, my constituents. I am participating in a telephone community meeting beginning at 7 PM on Tuesday July 17th. Those interested may call 1-866-447-5149 and use PIN # 13034 at the scheduled time to listen in. To ask me a question, simply hit * 3 after joining the meeting. I hope you have some time to call in tonight.”
Eight Streets put whiskey-barrel style planters on several corners last year. We have area businesses taking care of some planters, but could use your help in taking care of others!
If you are interested in planting a nice arrangement in a barrel, or can just volunteer to keep watered a container that is already planted, please let us know. The containers take a lot of work to stay green throughout the summer, and we could use all the help we can get!!!
Thanks
From the Mayor’s office:
It’s almost time again for BSMART Movie Nights! Last summer’s events were so successful because of the South End’s fantastic community spirit. Over the past year people around the ‘hood have been asking for ways to get involved, so we’re inviting people to help organize this year.
We’re having a planning meeting on Wednesday, July 11th @ 6:00pm in the Blackstone Community Center, and you are invited! If you would like to participate in running the event, this is a great chance to get involved.
The city’s BSMART team is looking to do movie nights at the Peters park ball field again this year. If you’re interested in planning for, or helping out during the movie screenings, there is an organizational meeting Wednesday, 7/11 at the Blackstone community center at 6pm. Please let us know if you’re interested in attending the meeting and helping out!
August 7th, 2007 is National Night Out. Would anyone be interested in doing some kind of activity in Eight Streets in conjunction with NNO? Let us know!!
Passing on this notice from the SEBA – sounds like fun!
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The South End Business Alliance (SEBA) is hosting a Summer Solstice Celebration Thursday, June 21 and Friday, June 22. Participating restaurants and retailers will have extended hours and offer special discounts, and raffles during these two days!! Remember to SHOP LOCAL.
The two day event will be filled with fun and unique offerings from various shops, spas and restaurants, live music, and much more all day long. All retailers will keep their doors open until 8pm on both evenings.
Boston Center for the Arts will offer live music on the plaza Friday evening from 5:30- 7:30 featuring BatukAxe as part of the BCA’s Sounds of the Season Series. It is also on the plaza that Boston Pedicab will be offering rides to some of the South End shops off the beaten path, such as Devi Home, Sara Campbell, Union Bar and Grille, Voila, and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.
Patrons will find everything from signature summer drinks, tasty appetizers, or complimentary dessert with purchase of an entrée at local eateries, to retailers offering 10-60% off merchandise.
Additionally, raffles will be held at each location promising for great prizes - plenty of gift certificates and merchandise to be won, as well as special offerings such as Jonas Wannfor’s Kristall Chandelier valued at $1,398 by Design within Reach, or a one hour massage by Nami Spa.
The event is a great time to welcome the summer, visit the South End, and support local merchants.
Participating restaurants/retailers:
Aquitaine, Beehive, Design Within Reach, Devi Home, étant - A Spa for Well Being, Garden of Eden Cafe, Hudson, Michele Mercaldo Contemporary Jewelry Design, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Nami Spa, Parlor, POPS Restaurant, Posh on Tremont, Sara Campbell, Sooki, Tadpole, Turtle, Union Bar and Grille, and Voila.
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A reminder that the South End Garden Tour is This Saturday, 6/16. This is a elf-guided tour of south end gardens, roof-decks and private back yard spaces. This year many gardens in Eight Streets, including Berkeley Community Garden, will be included in the tour. It’s a fun day, and a great way to help support Community Gardening through this annual fundraiser.
More event details can be found here http://tinyurl.com/fzsd3
Advance tickets are still available at the following locations:
Aunt Sadie's, 18 Union Park Street
Coldwell Banker, 633 Tremont Street
Keller Williams Realty, 607 Boylston Street 5th fl
Whole Foods Market, 15 Westland Ave
SE Realty Group, 476 Columbus Ave
Summit Mortgage, 671 Tremont Street
Lynn M. Deitzer, PC 538 Tremont Street
A reminder that Boston Pride is just around the corner. (www.bostonpride.org) This year, the parade that usually passes down Tremont street will actually be assembling on Tremont street. Given the new route, Tremont street parking will be restricted more than usual this year, and all of Tremont and several cross streets will close down earlier than previous years. And, since assembly is outside our door, there will be a LOT more people on the street and in local establishments. More details can be found on the Pride website.
Keep an eye on the newspapers and parking signs for all restrictions. And a happy pride to everyone!
6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking. Refreshments provided
7-8:30 - business meeting.
Business includes:
- Zoning issues at 18 Milford st
- Update on Elections, Pride Parade
- Info on the South End Garden Tour, including the chance to purchase tickets.
Also, provided there is no pressing business, this should be the last
meeting until September 5. Should something need our attention,
there may be a July 11 meeting. Keep an eye on the web site.
Hope to see everyone there!!!!
SOUTH END NIGHT AT THE THEATRE!
Join us for the Huntington Theatre Company's Neighborhood Nights.
Attend a pre-show reception with wine, snacks, and a behind-the-scenes
peek at the show's outrageous costumes, free with your ticket purchase!
When: Thursday, May 24
Pre-show reception, 6pm-7:15pm
Performance, 7:30pm
Where: Huntington Theatre Company mainstage
Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue
Tickets: $25 - Special South End discount (normal prices, $44-$65)
Available online only at http://www.huntingtontheatre.org . Select the
5/24 performance of "Present Laughter" then enter code 1132 on the
ticket login screen, after you select your seat location. Tickets
subject to availability.
About the play:
Victor Garber in
PRESENT LAUGHTER
by Noel Coward
Directed by Nicholas Martin
May 18 - June 17, 2007
Boston University Theatre
264 Huntington Avenue, Boston
Victor Garber (Broadway's "Sweeney Todd" and "Arcadia" and TV's
"Alias") stars as aging matinee idol Garry Essendine in one of Noel
Coward's funniest and most delightful comedies. Devastatingly handsome
and thoroughly charming, Garry lives his life like it's one grand
performance. But on the eve of a major tour, things fall apart in
hysterical fashion as he juggles old flames, a crazed playwright, and
(gasp!) middle age. Nicholas Martin, the Huntington's own master of
laughter, directs.
617 266-0800
How great does a day of golf sound right about now?...
Project Place's
Ninth Annual Charity Golf Tournament
will take place on
Wednesday, July 18th, 2007
at the Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, MA
Join us for an incredible day of golf at one of New England's premier golf courses, complete with a fabulous silent auction and raffle, great give-aways, and a post-tournament dinner buffet.
Tee-time is at 12:00pm and the cost is $260 individual golfer
So bring your friends, family, colleagues and clients
& give our cause a shot!
If you have any questions or are interested in participating in the tournament,
please call us at (617) 542-3740 x14
Eight Streets NA members have been invited to join the Ellis NA in their special arrangement to see Snappy Dance. If you’d like to join the Neighborhood event, ordering information is in the announcement below
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Our neighbors at the Boston Center for the Arts - and the BCA's Cultural Partner, Snappy Dance - have invited us to join them at a special event. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.
Opening Night at "Celebrating 10 Years" - and a post-performance reception with the company
Wednesday, May 30 - 7:30 PM
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA
Snappy Dance is edgy, a blend of dance with theatre and acrobatics. Its anniversary program features the world premiere of String Beings, an exciting collaboration between dancers, MIT New Media Artist Jonathan Bachrach and BSO first violinist Lucia Lin, with "real time video feedback using intelligent video processing and live musicians who become part of the choreography." This kind of joint venture can only take place in a city like Boston, and it's central to the BCA's mission. Don't miss it.
Tickets: $15 - $35 at www.bostontheatrescene.com or 617-933-8600. Let them know you're an Ellis member; tickets are limited.
Please RSVP for the reception to Cara Wojcik at 617-426-2924 or cwojcik@bcaonline.org
More info at http://www.bcaonline.org/may_2007/string_beings.php or at www.snappydance.com
We look forward to partnering with the BCA on future events. We'll keep you posted.
I should have read the paper before making the previous post.
The Boston Globe has endorsed Susan Passoni for City Council District 2.
A reminder that next Tuesday, May 15th is the final election for District 2 City Councilor. We only had between 11 and 15% participation in the preliminary elections. IF the South End doesn’t vote, then the winners aren’t going to pay attention to us. We need high numbers at the polls! Tell your friends and neighbours to get out and vote.
Tuesday, May 15th, 7am-8pm, Cathedral High Gym, at Waltham and Washington St.
Found on the no 9 park Web Site. This fits in with rumors of what may go in to the space next to Plum Produce
Stir Manager - Barbara Lynch's latest venture Stir Demonstration Kitchen and Cookbook Library, scheduled to open in June is looking for a full time manager. Qualified candidates should be passionate about food and wine, have a working knowledge of computers as well as HTML and other web languages. Previous experience in catering or event management a plus.
The following lecture has been advertised. If you’d like to learn more about the BRA, this sounds like the place to be.
The Boston League of Women Voters will sponsor a public informational
meeting:
Wednesday, May 9th
Union Square, Allston (on the 57 bus line and free parking)
Construction? Re-construction? Destruction? Growth and development all over
the City today and tomorrow is governed by the Boston Redevelopment
Authority. Love it or hate it, the BRA (planning and redevelopment agency)
is the only game in town.
Come and find out more--who is it? Where did it come from? What impact does
it have on our lives?
We will hear from Larry Koff & Associates/Community Planning after light
refreshments at 6:30 P.M. He will discuss the current state of the BRA
planning process and how citizens can have a meaningful impact via points of
leverage from 7 to 9 P.M. with plenty of time for discussion and questions.
If growth and development has affected your neighborhood you are already
involved. This meeting is a chance to become better informed as well. If
you do not as yet have a high rise going up in your neighborhood despite
zoning protections you thought existed, you can't afford to be complacent.
Please join us. Knowledge is power.
To follow on from our February meeting, I’d like to pass on some licensing issue follow-ups.
South End Butter license for full alcohol was approved, with an 11:30pm closing, and 10pm closing for outdoor seating. Alcohol is served with meals only.
Franklin Café came to us for support for expansion, but had not applied for any licenses for expansion work, and to our knowledge has not applied to do said work. Those who noticed construction activity the week of 4/23 were seeing structural floor/repair work, as well as other cosmetic work while the closed for floor work.
Although they missed their meeting with us, Foodies was denied a license to sell beer & wine.
On the agenda will will be a request to open a liquor store at 550
Tremont st. The store would be at parlor level (up the stairs),
above B&G Oysters. The group that runs B&G and The Butcher Shop are
making the application.
Currently the only thing on file is a request to change the zoning of
that space to include permission to open a liquor store. As of
right now, there does not appear to be an application on file for a
license to sell liquor. The lawyers for the group have a 'wine and
cheese store' concept, but until the license application is made,
there is no way to see what kind of actual sales license they wish to
apply for. This would be a significant addition to the neighborhood,
at what is currently a high traffic corner.
We hope to see you next Wednesday at the meeting. 6:30-8:30,
Boston ballet board room (Clarendon & Warren).
6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking
7-8:30 - Business meeting
Agenda will also include voting information and discussion of ESNA fundraising.
See everyone on Wednesday!
- J
I’d like to thank everyone who went out and voted yesterday. The city web site http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections/currentelections/ shows 17% of district 2 went out to vote. Not too bad for a preliminary. We’ll have to increase that for the Final elections on May 15th.
As you can see by the city site, and this Globe article (http://tinyurl.com/2yy2mg), the difference between first and second place was only 37 votes. The difference between second and third place was only 92 votes. Your vote certainly does count!!
Again, let me know how many people will be in your group so we can
reserve enough supplies!
I'd say welcome spring, but we've all see what happened to that. :)
A reminder that THIS wednesday is our April meeting. We'll be at our
regular location, Boston Ballet boardroom (Clarendon & Warren), form
6:30-8:30
6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking. Refreshments this month provided
again by our friends a Hingham Savings Bank.
7-8:30 - business meeting.
Alcohol licenses are on our agenda yet again.
- Pop's restaurant would liek to upgrade to a full liquor license
- Foodies would like to sell Beer & Wine.
We'll also discuss the recent debate, upcoming elections (change in
polling place). Also looking for volunteers to help out in the NA
Hope to see everyone on Wednesday! And for your calendars - the
May meeting will be on May 2nd!
- J
The South End News has a summary of last weeks’ candidates debate for the District 2 seat. Link to their web sire is below…
Please join us THIS Tuesday, Marth 27th, from 6-8 at the Benjamin
Franklin Institute of Technology, 41 Berkeley St. The more people
we can get there, the more the candidates will realize there are
people in the South End who are interested in the issues. Both the
Chinatown and South Boston events were packed. We've got to do the
same if we want candidates to pay attention to us...
Please let me know if you can also volunteer during the night of the event.
And don't forget the general meeting is coming up April 4.
Hope to see everyone on Tuesday!!!
If you already have a garden, garden renewals will be taken April
7th, 10a-noon, at the YWCA, 40 Berkeley street. If you have not
gotten your notice yet, please contact garden leadership.
May 5th - garden cleanup. This is the annual spring garden cleanup
AND the date for the garden lottery. If you want to get a garden at
Berkeley, this is the meeting you need to attend.
For more information on both events, please see their site at
And a reminder, if you look on the right there is a Subscribe field.
If you enter your email, you will get an email when the blog is
updated (max 1 email per day). If you often forget to check the
blog, this is a handy way for updates to be sent right to your inbox!
The Neighborhood Forum (Eight Streets is a member) and South End News are sponsoring a "Candidates Night" for the District 2 City Council special election and we need your help in getting the word out.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
41 Berkeley Street
Free and open to all. Spanish interpretation provided. PDF flyer at http://tinyurl.com/2564mh
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet the candidates vying to represent YOU on the City Council. All of the candidates have been invited. Find out where they stand on issues that are important to the South End.
The preliminary election will be held on Tuesday, April 17, and the final election will be held on Tuesday, May 15.
A reminder that this Wednesday brings our March Eight Streets
business meeting. We'll be meeting this
Wednesday, March 7th, 6:30-8:30
6:30-7 - neighborhood networking
7-8:30 - business meeting
This month:
Meet City Council district 2 candidate Susan Passoni, the only
candidate of the 8 running form the South End.
As you may have read the Dog Recreation Space at Peters Park has been
approved by Boston Parks Department. Come and see what the final
design of the DRS will be.
Hope to see you there!
For complete information on the DRS, please visit the park at
The southend.org home page has information on parking rules & restrictions during Snow Emergencies. Given we may get our first significant snowfall of the season on Wednesday, it might be a good idea to brush up on the rules for parking when a snow emergency is declared.
The City Parks Department has put a survey on line.
They are creating a new Open Space Plan, and want to know how you use your local parks. Visit their site to read the 2002-2006 plan, and take the survey so you can have some input on their next 5 year open space plan. The survey will ask you question son how you use your local park (either the park closest to you, or the park you use most often). Ringgold park is in Eight Streets, and Peters Park is our closest park neighbour.
Visit http://www.cityofboston.gov/parks/openspace_update.asp for more information and to take the survey (tinyurl: http://tinyurl.com/28r2v2)
Evening everyone,
This Wednesday, 2/7 is the next Eight Streets NA meeting. We'll be
at our regular location in the Boston Ballet boardroom, at the corner
of Clarendon & Warren.
We have two big items on the agenda this month.
The Franklin Cafe is looking to expand. They will not be opening a
second location on Harrison avenue, as they had planned. Given
this, they are looking to expand in their current location up to the
second floor. They will be presenting plans at the meeting, and
will be seeking a letter of approval from the NA
South End Buttery will also be before us at this meeting. Even
though they are just outside of our NA, they've been a good business
and want to reach out beyond their immediate borders. The sandwich
and coffee shop is seeing a Beer & Wine license. They are going to
be expanding at their current location and adding kitchen facilities.
As they add more dinner-like dishes to their menu, they feel being
able to serve beer & wine with dinner will enhance their fare, and
allow them to remain competitively with other small restaurants in
the immediate area.
join us 6:30-7 for our neighborhood networking social hour.
Business portion of the meeting will begin promptly at 7.
Hope to see everyone there.
Don't forget to visit our blog for more neighborhood news;
http://eightstreets.blogspot.com
If you're not yet a member, visit our web site for membership and
voting information. http://eightstreets.tripod.com
Dates have been set for special elections to replace Councilor
Kelly's position - the Councilor for City District 2, which
encompasses South Boston, Chinatown and our slice of the South End.
Preliminary election - April 17th. All candidates on ballot
Final election - May 15. Top two vote-getters in preliminary
election get on this ballot.
It will be important for all of the South End to turn out for this
vote, and make our voices heard. More details as the election
approaches.
