December business meeting

Our next business meeting is Tuesday, December 9th at our new meeting space at Project Place (Corner of Washington & East Berkeley.   Enter in the door next to Meyers and Chang)  Please arrive before 7:30, as the external doors lock at that time.  

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.

Our planned guest for this month has not confirmed yet, so we'll try to have them at a future meeting.  This month we'll continue to focus on planning and neighborhood news.  I'll also have the latest news on the Frontage road shelter.


We'll wrap up the meeting with additional neighborhood news and updates.



A reminder that NA membership must be renewed every Fall.   If you have not renewed your membership, please Head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can join on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.  Members joining now will be valid through August 2015.

Remember to like us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

Alley cleanup this Saturday (11/22)

November Business Meeting

Our next business meeting is Tuesday, November 11 at our new meeting space at Project Place (Corner of Washington & East Berkeley.   Enter in the door next to Meyers and Chang)  Please arrive before 7:30, as the external doors lock at that time.  

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.

Our agenda for this month centers around neighborhood planning for the upcoming year, including

Committees - what our committees did last year, and what their plans and goals are for the coming year

Neighborhood investment - what neighborhood activities or projects would you like to see in the coming year

What guest speakers would you like to see in the coming year.

We'll wrap up the meeting with additional neighborhood news and updates.

A reminder that NA membership must be renewed every Fall.   If you have not renewed your membership, please Head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can join on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.  Members joining now will be valid through August 2015.

Remember to like us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

Vote - 2014

Celebrate the end of political commercials by going out to vote next Tuesday on November 4th.

Eight Streets (Ward 3 Precinct 7) votes at Cathedral High School, located at Waltham and Washington streets.   Polls are open from 7am-8pm.

Of course, the Governor is a big contest this election, as well as several important state questions.

Our Representative in Congress (Capuano) and our Representative in the State House (Aaron) are unopposed.   Our state senator (Chang-Diaz) does have an opponent.

Click here for a list of all candidates on the ballot.

Click here for a summary of the Questions to vote on.

October NA meeting

Welcome Back

Our next business meeting is This Tuesday, Oct 14 at our new meeting space at Project Place (Corner of Washington & East Berkeley.   Enter in the door next to Meyers and Chang)

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.

On the agenda this month:

• Nectar & Green - new business proposal for Shawmut Ave
• Personal best Fitness - new business proposal at Castle Square
• South End Temperature Study
• Groundwater Update:   17 Bond & 9 Milford

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Eigth Streets.    As mentioned in the email last month, we have had to change location for our monthly meetings, and thus meeting days.  We will continue to meet on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at Project Place.   The building is at the corner of Washington & East Berkeley.   The meeting room is on the 2nd floor - enter via the door next to Meyers and Chang.

Please arrive before 7:30, as the external doors lock at that time.  

We have quite a variety on our agenda this month.    We start with two businesses.   Personal Best Fitness looks to open in Castle Square.   Although just outside ESNA, they are seeking wider NA support for the zoning changes they need.   A vote will be taken.

We also got late notice that Urbanity Dance on Shawmut is leaving, and a  juice bar will like to move in.   Nectar and Green will be coming to the meeting to provide us information only.  We hope to have an on-site meeting this month with abutters to see if there is support for the business and the variances they need.

What do you get when two dozen residents carry around temperature sensors for a week?  Find out as we see the research that was collected for this study.

And development projects at 17 Bond and 9 Milford will present their groundwater plans for those projects (Still waiting confirmation on this agenda item)

We'll wrap up the meeting with additional neighborhood news and updates.


A reminder that NA membership must be renewed every Fall.   Head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can join on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.  Members joining now will be valid through August 2015.

Remember to like us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

Fall Pot Luck: Sunday 9/14

With a cloudy/rainy afternoon forecast, Pot Luck has been moved to Sunday.

The heat has broken, and Fall is in the air.   A perfect time for a Picnic.

Come help us celebrate the start of the ESNA calendar year at a neighborhood Pot Luck & BBQ.  We'll have a grill with some burgers and dogs, but we're counting on you to make it interesting.   Bring your favorite dish to share with your neighbors!  

But most of all, bring a friend or a neighbor.   Meet your fellow Eight Streeters.   Learn more about the association.   Share ideas on how we can improve our neighborhood.

Join us on Sunday, September 14th from 4-6 in Ringgold Park.   

Please RSVP to potluck@eightstreets.org to let us know you're coming, what you can bring, and if you can volunteer additional time for setup, cleanup, and even manning the grill!   

Even if you can't RSVP or aren't a good cook, come on down and meet everyone!   

Complete details can be found on our pot luck web page.

Not sure if you're in Eight Streets?   Check out Neighborhood Map.

August Stoop Night

Eight Streets continues the Summer of the Stoop and holds it's next official stoop night this Thursday, August 28th.

Join us between 6 and 7:30 on Waltham Street and meet your neighbors.   If you live on Waltham, some out and sit on your stoop and say hi to neighbors.   If you're from our other Eight Streets, head over to Waltham and make some new friends!

To kick off the night, we have some host stoops who have promised to be out to meet and greet.   Host Stoops can be identified by balloons, but don't feel confined by our host stoops - walk the street and say hi to everyone!!

For more on our Stoop night resurgence, see our previous blog post.

Thursday, August 28th
6-7:30pm
Waltham street.

Register for the Primaries

If you are new to the area, you have until August 20th to register to vote in order to participate in the
September primaries.

City Press Release on voter registration.

Election information for Boston.

Trash changes begin this week

A reminder that the new trash collection procedures begin this week.  This includes

• Earlier trash pickup
• Recycling on Tuesday and Friday
• Discouraging small blue bins in favor of clear plastic bags

New trash collection begins this Tuesday, July 1st.  

We've been promised earlier trash pickup, with collection beginning at 7am.   They may not be at your door at 7am, but expect much earlier pickup than we have been getting used to.  It will be a few weeks for their schedule and routine to flush out, so don't count on tomorrow's pickup being "the" time for all future pickups.

Get your trash out on time in the morning, or as late as possible the night before.  The less time your trash is on the street, the cleaner our streets will be.  The following links should help you our on your trash endeavours.  

Previous blog entry on new trash rules.

Facebook album of trash Do's and Don'ts.

City web site with trash and recycling rules.

Changes to trash collection

The South End is getting a new city trash contractor/service, and there will be some changes coming to the neighborhood on July 1st.

Briefly:

• Recycling will be picked up on both trash days, Tuesday & Friday
• Trash pickup begins at 7am
• Small blue bins are being phased out.

These changes will begin on Tuesday, July 1, 2014.   The city will be delivering fliers to all homes and sending out postcards to all residents to inform them of the change.

The Details:

The city has several different trash contracts covering different areas of the city.   The existing trash contract has been extended several times, so the city took this opportunity to ask for bids for new contracts.  Sunrise Scavenger of Hyde Park has won the contract for all downtown trash pickup.

Recycling

The biggest change is something we have been asking for - Recycling collection on both trash days. Single stream recycling means most of us now have more recycling than we do trash, and we no longer have to save it until Tuesday.  (And, those who put recycling out on Friday now will have it recycled, and not thrown in the trash).  

A reminder that Recycling can only be put out in clear plastic bags.    The city is discontinuing the small blue bins, and eventually will just take them away.  it is too easy for them to be kicked over, overflowing, or have paper blown out of them - all making the street a mess.  We ask that you no longer use small blue bins.   If you do use a blue bin, and the recycling is above the lip of the bin, you will get a trash ticket.  If you want to 'throw out' your blue bin, put it IN a clear bag, and they should take it away.    If you have one of the larger wheeled blue bins with a cover, they are fine and can continue to be used.


Pick-up times

Another big change is early trash collection.  No more trash pickups going on until 3pm.   Trash pickup will being at 7am, although at this time we don't know if they will start in the South End at 7am, and if both Thursday and Friday will be at the same times.   Most of that will be ironed out as they iron the kinks out of the new service.  

The less time trash is on the street, the less chance trash will become litter due to picking, animals, bad disposal, etc.   Early pickup means the trash is on our street during fewer daylight hours.   We ask residents to put trash and recycling out "as late as you can" to minimize trash curb time form our end.   If you can, put trash out as you go to work in the morning.   If that's too early for you, then put it curbside as late as you can the night before.  the less time we have trash curbside, the better.

Proper trash disposal

Trash collection is only half the battle.   Keeping streets clean is our re
sponsibility as well.  Some guidelines will help you be a good trash citizen.

• Put trash out as late as you can - first thing in the morning is best
• Use a proper household trash bag that can be tied closed.  City regulations say .9mil thickness minimum.   
• Using take-out bags, foodies/cvs/shaws bags for trash or recycling is not acceptable.  Using these bags will get you a ticket.
• For big items and electronics, call the city before putting them out (617.635.4500)
• Place Recycling in clear plastic bags only.  No putting paper out in paper bags, no open cardboard boxes.
• Break down all boxes and lie them flat!  open boxes collect trash, and will get you a ticket
• After trash day, clean in front of your home.   if everyone cleaned the sidewalk in front of their building, our neighborhood would be spotless!

See out facebook page for images of trash Do's and Don'ts for putting out trash

For full trash rules and information, see the city trash web site.

June Stoop Night

The 6/13 stoop night has been cancelled due to rain.   

Since there is a continued chance of rain on Saturday, we'll hold this stoop night on another weekend.

While waiting for our next official stoop event, feel free to sit on your front steps on any warm night and say hi to your neighbors!

---

Original notice:

Eight Streets continues the Summer of the Stoop and holds it's next official stoop night this Friday, June 13th.  Join us between 6 and 7:30 on Waltham Street and meet your neighbors.   If you live on Waltham, some out and sit on your stoop and say hi to neighbors.   If you're from other Eight Streets, head over to Waltham and make some new friends!

To kick off the night, we have some host stoops who have promised to be out to meet and greet.   You can stop by 84, 88 and 92 Waltham, as well as 89 and 91.  But don't feel confined by our host stoops - walk the street and say hi to everyone!!

For more on our Stoop night resurgence, see our previous blog post.

Friday, June 13th
6-7:30pm
Waltham street.

June business meeting

Warm weather arrives!

Our next business meeting Wednesday, June 4th, 6:30-8:30 at the Boston Ballet  (Corner of Warren & Clarendon)

DIFFERENT ROOM - this month only we will be downstairs in Studio 1

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.

On the agenda this month:

• Committee reports
• Business focus: South End Errands
• Special Guest Speaker - South End Historical Society
• Open Member Discussion

Our business focus this week will be a new local concierge service South End Errands.

Our guest speaker this month will be Maryellen Hassell of the South End Historical Society.   Discussions will include the upcoming Garden and House tours.

A reminder - the Social Committee has set Friday June 13th as our next Stoop night, to take place on Waltham Street.   See the flier here.

This is our last business meeting until September.   Keep an eye on the blog for Summer ESNA Events!

Help support the neighborhood Association by becoming a member.  Head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can join on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.  Members joining now will be valid through August 2015.

Remember to like us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

Our alleys

A big thank you to all who volunteered this weekend for the alley cleanup of the Hanson/Waltham alley, and for the individuals that gave the Waltham/UP alley a cleanup.   With this weekends' efforts, all of our alleys have now had some level of cleaning.

It's up to all of us to help keep our alleys in a clean state.

Aside from looking nice and being used to move things in and out of our homes, our alleys are important for our first responders.   During all our cleanups we've found that the alleys have become dumping grounds. Contractors using the alley to dispose of things they don't want to throw out, including soil they've dug up and decided to dump into the alleys. Residents using the alleys for storage of items, or as a place to throw out trash.   Added to that were fallen branches and blown-in trash that no one had ever cleaned up.

At best, the alleys end up looking messy.   At worst, they may come a day when police or fire respond to a call and can't get through to your home, or get injured trying to navigate debris in the dark while responding to a call.   Unkempt alleys can also give the impression that the area is not cared for, and overgrown trees and plants can make good hiding places for those with ill intent.


To keep our alleys clean and safe, we ask everyone to

• Clean the alley behind your own home regularly. 
• Trim low hanging tree branches and overgrown bushes that might keep the alley dark or provide hiding places for thieves.
• Do not throw trash into the alleys.  
• Do not store items in the alleys.   While it seems convenient, it clutters the alleys and can impede first responders
• Police ask that you add your house number to your rear gates, again so first responders can find your home should an emergency ever happen.
• The police also remind everyone with a gate do put a secure locking mechanism on the gate.  During all our alley walk-throughs, BPD was able to walk into almost half of the back yards due to gates not being locked or have an easily defeated gate latch.

If we all pitch in we can keep our alleys clean and safe.

Stoop Nights

Come out and meet your neighbors!!!

Postponed by the rain - Join us on Saturday night!

Join us on Dwight street on Saturday, May17th from 5:30-7pm for Stoop Night.

---

This Friday Eight Streets is resurrecting an old tradition.  

In the days before Internet and big screen TVs and all our other distractions, many people used to spend evenings sitting on their front steps.  You enjoyed some nice evening weather, and got to say 'hi' to all
your neighbors as they came home from work or went out running errands.

Flash forward to the present, and you'll see very few stoop sitters, and we often don't even know the people living in our building never mind those next door to us.   We hope to start reversing this trend.

The ESNA social committee is bring the next social event right to your front door!

On Friday, Eight Streets will host a stoop night on Dwight Street.

• If you live on Dwight street, we ask that you turn off the computer and the TV and head outside!  Sit on your stoop from 6-7:30 and say Hi to all who walk by!

• If you live on our other streets, head over to Dwight!  Walk the street,  say hi, and stop and chat with a neighbor you've never met before.   Make some new friends, talk about neighborhood issues, and take a break form your hectic week to just sit and mingle for a bit.

To help inspire others, several Dwight residents have agreed to be 'host' stoops.  They will be stoop sitting for the entire time from 6-7:30  Just look for the balloons at 7, 26, 30, 31.5, 38 and 52 Dwight. Some hosts will have light refreshments to entice you.   If we get a good turnout, we'll continue Stoop Night throughout the summer visiting each of our streets!

Download this flier for more information - or print it out and post in your lobby so everyone in your building can participate.   For more information please contact Bernard.      Rain date is Saturday, May 17th from 5:30-7.

May Business Meeting

Happy Allergy Season!

Our next business meeting Wednesday, May 7th, 6:30-8:30 at the Boston Ballet 5th floor board room (Corner of Warren & Clarendon)

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.

On the agenda this month:

• Deck @ 35 Hanson
• Elections
• Committee reports
• Business focus: Siena Farms
• Special Guest Speaker - John Sullivan of BWSC
• Open Member Discussion

Business this month includes 35 Hanson street seeking support for a rear parlor level deck.

Our business focus this week will be Siena Farms, purveyor of fresh produce and flowers on Waltham street.

Our guest speaker this month will be John Sullivan of Boston Water & Sewer.  He'll give a presentation on the history of Boston water, as well as some current and future projects.    Jim Steinkraus, BWSC General Council will also join us, to help answering any questions after the presentation.

ESNA business this month consists of our annual elections of your neighborhood officers, and committee reports, including several cleanup and social activities coming up, and our search of additional street captains.

A reminder that the Hanson/Waltham Alley Cleanup, and the Ringgold Park mulching is this Saturday, May 10th. so mark your calendars.   See more information here.


Help support the neighborhood Association by becoming a member.  Head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can join on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.

Remember to like us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

A Weekend of Cleanups

This weekend brings the annual Boston Shines cleanup to the South End, and several projects in our neighborhood.

On Saturday, May 10th the neighborhood has the following activities going on.

At 9:30 we continue our cleanup of Ringgold park.   By then the city should have delivered mulch outside the park.  We'll spend the morning mulching the various plant in the beds.  This will make the park look even better, keep the weeds down and keep plants form drying out over the summer.  We're also planning a plant sale for that morning - more information on that soon!

At around 9am Berkeley Community garden will also have another cleanup that morning, continuing their Spring Cleanup from last month.   Stop by the garden and give them a hand and meet our gardening neighbors.

At 8am our biggest effort will be another alley cleanup.  This year we will be cleaning up the alley between Hanson and Waltham streets.   Our security walk-through with BPD last month shows it would be a hazard to any first responders due to all the debris in the alley and the uneven ground due to dumping over the years.   We hope both neighbors and alley abutters will join us to take part in the alley cleanup.   Boston Shines will provide tools and bags, and will make a special pickup to remove this larger debris.  meet in Ringgold Park (and in the alley) to help out with this cleanup.

If you abut this alley and have personal property in the alley, please remove it before Saturday so it doesn't accidentally get cleaned out on Saturday.

A flier with alley cleanup details can be found here (pdf)

Hopefully you can take park in one of these cleanup efforts and help make our neighborhood shine!!   Even if you can only take some time to sweep and clean the sidewalk in front of your home, every little bit will help.

News from the Neighborhood

Some news from around the neighborhood

---

Ringgold park gives a thanks to dedicated volunteer Munjeet Geyer: They are having their annual Spring Egg Hunt this Saturday, April 19th at 10 AM. If you can help fill eggs Friday and/or help hide them Saturday at 9 AM, that would be extremely helpful. Please email her at Munjeet@verizon.net to get involved!

---

New Ringgold Summer Event! Volunteers needed!

The Friends of Ringgold Park is working with the Community Music Center of Boston on potentially including Ringgold Park as a site for a children's concert as part of CMCB's "Fete du Musique" on June 21. We are excited to offer a new type of programming in the park, after two consecutive summers of construction in the park. Please email ringgoldpark@verizon.net if you would like to get involved in this fun family event. 

---

Milford and Dwight streets are on the list for repaving this year.   That is no guarantee that they will be paved (Dwight was on the list last year), but hopefully that will not only mean street paving, but full handicap reconstruction of all sidewalk intersections.

---

New local business Rooster Mens Grooming Center is now open, but will have an Official ribbon cutting and social gathering on Tuesday, April 22 from 5:30-7:30pm.  Stop by to meet our new business and grab some light refreshments.

---

Blackstone Community Center is having fundraiser.   More information here.

---

Speaking of Blackstone, Councilor Wu's Small Business Tour is coming to the Blackstone Community Center next week

Permitting and Licensing Listening Tour with Councilor Wu April 24th

City Councilor Michelle Wu wants to hear from small business owners, advocates and residents about their experiences navigating the City's licensing and permitting process. The aim is to reform this process so that it is more efficient, streamlined and predictable for those seeking to do business in Boston. Please come have your voice heard  Thursday April 24th 9am-11am Blackstone Community Center at 50 W. Brookline Street RSVP to Councilor Wu's Office: 617-635-3115

---

Spring Leaf and Yard Waste Collection
4 Weeks

April 28 - May 23 on your recycling day by 7:00am

Look Up Your Recycling Day

Place leaves, and yard debris in large paper leaf bags or open barrels labeled "yard waste" (no plastic bags). Yard Waste stickers for barrels are available by calling 617-635-4500 or placing an online service request (up to 2 stickers available per household). Yard waste will not be collected with trash.

Tie branches with string, 3' maximum length, 1" maximum diameter. Do not put branches in barrels.

Put barrels, bags and brances on the curb by 7:00am on your recycling day from April 28 throught May 23, 2014.  

Collecting leaf and yard waste for composting saves tax dollars, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and produces compost!

(Eight Streets recycles on Tuesdays)

---

Cleanup & More Cleanup

Thanks for a great Cleanup!

We'd like to thank everyone who took part in the Ringgold park cleanup this past weekend.   We had a
great crowd and cleaned up a lot of winter debris - 40+ bags for parks to take away and compost.   it was great meeting all our neighbors, and the park looks ready for Spring.    During Boston Shines, may 10th, we'll be getting free mulch from the city, and meet back in the park to mulch around the plantings.

We have a bunch of photos on our Facebook page.

Thanks to

• All who participated, of course!
• Friends of Ringgold Park, for coordinating with the city
• Parks Department, for access to tools and for doing a special pickup to collect the bags of debris
• The Wholey Grain, for some great coffee to start our day!

We hope some of you want to become more involved in Ringgold Park.   A number of FoRP board members will be stepping down, and we'd like to get park neighbors to step forward and help out.   Please contact Michael if you're interested in joining the Friends, or would just like some more information.

Speaking of cleanups

Last month we went on an alley security walk with Officer Litto.   One alley we walked down is the Waltham/Hanson alley.   The alley was in rough shape, filled with lots of debris.   Officer Litto was concerned that if Police or Fire had to respond to an emergency, they would rick injury themselves trying to navigate the alley in the dark.

We'd like to get Waltham/Hanson alley abutters together to do an alley clean-up on Boston Shines day, May 10th.   If enough neighbors get together, we can provide tools and arrange for DPW to pick up everything we remove from the alley.   In the past neighbors helped clean up the Hanson/Milford and Milford/Dwight alleys, and we hope the Waltham/Hanson neighbors will be just as enthusiastic about cleaning up their common alley!

If you abut the alley, please contact John and I'll put you in touch with the folks organizing the cleanup. This would take place the morning of May 10th, as part of Boston Shines.  (and in conjunction with our Ringgold mulching.

Hope to see you then!

April Business Meeting

Happy Springtime!

Our next business meeting Wednesday, April 2nd, 6:30-8:30 at the Boston Ballet 5th floor board room (Corner of Warren & Clarendon)

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.

On the agenda this month:

• Decks @ 1 Hanson
• License changes for Kitchen restaurant
• Information about the new Whole Foods opening
• Special Guest Speaker - Officer Richie Little of BPD
• Open Member Discussion

Business this month includes 1 Hanson street seeking support for rear decks.

Kitchen restaurant (former Pops location @ Clarendon & Tremont) is seeking a change to their liquor license.   Currently they must serve a full meal to anyone who would like a drink.  This restriction was on Pops restaurant, and was carried forward to Kitchen.  This restriction however is not on B&G, Butcher Shop. beehive or Stephie's, which puts Kitchen on a slight disadvantage.   They would like the full meal restriction lifted for the bar portion of the restaurant.

Whole foods will be coming to tell us about their planned space in the Ink Block development, and request support for selling liquor in the grocery store, and a license to sell prepared food.

Our guest speaker this month will be Officer Richie Litto from BPD.  Office Litto is part of the community service branch of BPD, and patrols the South End regularly.  We'll discuss alley safety based on our walk-through last Friday, as well as take questions on ESNA safety and crime in general.


And a reminder that our Ringgold park cleanup is Saturday, April 12th, so mark your calendars.   See more information here.


If you haven't yet renewed your annual membership, or are looking to join us, head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can renew on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

Ringgold Park Clean-up

Mark your calendar

April 12th we'll have a cleanup of Ringgold Park.   Let's get the park ready for Spring and the Easter Egg hunt.  This is your chance to get involved, meet your neighbors, and to be the one to make your neighborhood a cleaner place to live.

You'll also get a chance to meet some of the current Friends of Ringgold Park members.  The Friends is looking for more members, as well as some local residents to join the board of FoRP.   Many of the current board no longer live in the area, and we need local residents to step forward and take up leadership positions.

The Parks department will provide tools, gloves and bags, and ESNA will be providing some coffee and goodies.  All you need to bring are good spirits and a willingness to make our neighborhood a better place.

Hope to see you there!!

Saturday, April 12th, starting at 9am.   
Rain date Sunday, April 13

Download the flier with this link.   Print out and share with your neighbors!!

March Business Meeting

Happy "hope winter is almost done"!

Our next business meeting Wednesday, March 5th, 6:30-8:30 at the Boston Ballet 5th floor board room (Corner of Warren & Clarendon)

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.

On the agenda this month:

• Decks @ 11 Hanson
• Ground water info for 30 Hanson
• Special Guest Speaker - Dana Staley from BNAN, (Berkeley Garden)
• Action items & committee reports
• Open Member Discussion

Hi everyone.  A reminder that Street Sweeping season has started.   As soon as temps go above freezing they'll be resuming Street Sweeping activities.

Business this month includes 11 Hanson street seeking support for rear decks.   30 Hanson will go over a groundwater plan that is part of their building renovation.  The Groundwater Trust has approved their plan already, they just wish to share with the neighborhood and gain ESNA support for their final ZBA hearing.

Our guest speaker this month will be Dana Staley of Boston Natural Areas Network.  She will give us a history of Berkeley Garden and talk about the diversity that the multi-national gardeners bring to the neighborhood.  If you can't make it to the meeting for the speaker, the Garden is holding their annual Spring Cleanup on April 5th - residents are always welcome to stop by, chat with gardeners and lend a hand!

We will also be going over committee reports and some goals the committees have been working on over the past month.


If you haven't yet renewed your annual membership, or are looking to join us, head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can renew on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

February Business Meeting

Happy Goundhog Day!

Our next business meeting Wednesday, February  5th, 6:30-8:30 at the Boston Ballet 5th floor board room (Corner of Warren & Clarendon)

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.

On the agenda this month:

• Local Business Focus:  Don Weber of Brownstone Gardens
• Action items & committee reports
• Special guest Speakers: 
• City Council President Bill Linehan
• City Councilor-at-Large Michelle Wu
• City Councilor-at-Large Michael Flaherty
• Open Member Discussion

We continue this month with a plethora guest speakers.

Local businessman Don Weber will speak about his company Brownstone Gardens.   This is the first in what we hope will be a continuing series of local Eigth Streets neighborhood business owners coming to speak about their business.

We have a special guest this month.   Our district 2 city councilor Bill Linehan will be joining us again as guest speaker.  The councilor was just re-elected this past November, and in January was elected president of the city council.   Join us as Councilor Linehan speaks to us about his new role as Council President, and what the future may hold for local residents under the new council and the Walsh administration.

Councilor Linehan will also be joined by returning Councilor-at-Large Michel Flaherty, and our own South End neighbor Councilor-at-large Michelle Wu.   All three councilors have a strong connection to the inner city and the issues that are unique to downtown neighborhoods.

After our speakers address the neighborhood, there will be plenty of time for Q& A from the audience.

We will also be going over committee reports and some goals the committees have been working on over the past month.

Weather issues:    As of now there may or may not be lots of snow on Wednesday.   Please keep an eye on the blog and other social media should our speakers have to cancel or if the ballet school is closed on Wednesday.   Keep an eye on the forecast to see if this storm turns into a hit or miss.

If you haven't yet renewed your annual membership, or are looking to join us, head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can renew on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

January Business Meeting

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Our next business meeting Wednesday, January 8th,  6:30-8:30 at the Boston Ballet 5th floor board room (Corner of Warren & Clarendon)

Usual meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.

On the agenda this month:

• 55 Dwight st - seeking support for a rear deck
• Friends of Ringgold Park
• State Representative Aaron Michlewitz
• Action items & committee reports
• Open Member Discussion

We have two guest speakers joining us this month.

Claire Corcoran of Friends of Ringgold park will be joining us.  Find out some of the park's history, and how you can be a part of the park's future!

We will also be joined by State Representative Aaron Michlewitz.  Find out what Aaron does for you at the state house, and join in with an active Q&A with your state representative!

If you haven't yet renewed your annual membership, or are looking to join us, head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can renew on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.

Hope to see everyone there!

ESNA Calendar
Facebook
Twitter

Snow in Boston

Howdy all.   With our third storm of the season coming soon, and a city snow emergency beginning Thursday at Noon, it's time to talk snow again.

The city snow page can be found here.   It's a great jumping off point for city resources, and has a link were you can sign up to get emails when snow alerts/emergencies/closings happen.

Detailed information on snow clearing can be found on our web "snow" page, and in last year's blizzard snow blog post.

Stay safe!